From the beginning, Bethel Music's Steffany Gretzinger has had a desire to make music that matters, that stretches beyond entertainment and also stretches the parameters of popular worship music. She strives to be a listener first, and then to create music that reflects the Gospel and communicates honest experiences in a fresh and artful way. You can hear Steffany's anointed, emotive and prophetic worship in Bethel's "You Know Me," "Closer," "Letting Go," "Be Still," and "We Dance" from You Make Me Brave.

Steffany's solo debut album The Undoing is available everywhere August 26 and has eleven original worship songs, all beautifully produced in a stripped down piano/guitar style. These songs were written from a place of reflecting on what it means to be undone by God. I had the chance to speak with Steffany about "We Dance" and songs from The Undoing.

Please tell me the personal story behind "We Dance."

I was in Canada with my husband, who is Canadian. We moved there for about a year and a half. There had been a discussion about recording a women's worship album. This is the only song for any album that happened this way. I sat down with all of these other women worship leaders in mind for the purpose of writing a song. I can't think of another song which wasn't started from just having a moment with the Lord.

I was praying over all of these beautiful women, and I asked Him for a song for the album You Make Me Brave. I got the words "You study me slow and sweet" and started the first verse and chorus. It was simple and I would sing it over and over with these women on my heart.

I spent months with these pieces of a song and some other lyrics, and then I asked Amanda Cook if she had a key for the song. Sure enough, she came back with half of the second verse, and the bridge of the song, which is the part that destroys me. We wrote the song together, and it was such an awesome honor and joy. We had done a different version of it, and we knew it should be simple with piano and strings, as simple and sweet as it came to me. That's the way you hear it on the album.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Psalm 30:11-12 (The Voice): You did it: You turned my deepest pains into joyful dancing; You stripped off my dark clothing and covered me with joyful light. You have restored my honor. My heart is ready to explode, erupt in new songs! It's impossible to keep quiet! Eternal One, my God, my Life-Giver, I will thank You forever.

Zephaniah 3:17 (The Voice): The Eternal your God is standing right here among you, and He is the champion who will rescue you. He will joyfully celebrate over you; He will rest in His love for you; He will joyfully sing because of you like a new husband.

What is the takeaway message?

What I loved about that moment is that I prayed over this group of women, but as a woman myself, I was able to get completely lost in the moment with God, even though the intent was to write the song for them. I encountered it as I sang it. I remember sitting at the piano and actually swaying. I felt God almost putting His arms around me, and I swayed back and forth with Him. That's the best feeling, letting God lead me. It was in that moment that I could picture myself looking into His eyes.

Amanda had so captured my heart in that bridge, and I think if I could send any message to these women, it's that there are so many worldviews and messages about what love and beauty looks like but I feel like if there's one thing we have to learn to do it's to get completely lost in that place. In His arms, in His eyes, and remembering what He said first to us. When we hear those other voices and they get loud, we should remember to let Him lead. Go back to that place and let Him sing that song that He wrote for us over us until we believe it again. Everything is made right in that place.

The bridge is that response. "I will lock eyes with the One who ransomed me, the One who gave me joy from mourning." All of a sudden, there's the dance, everything is made right, and we are declaring back to Him that this is our choice. This is what we'll do. It turns into a really positive declaration.

Lyrics:
You steady me 
Slow and sweet we sway
Take the lead and I will follow

Finally ready now
To close my eyes and just believe
That you won't lead me where You don't go

When my faith gets tired
And my hope seems lost
You spin me round and round 
And remind me of that song
The one You wrote for me

And we dance
And we dance 

I've been told 
To pick up my sword 
And fight for love
Little did I know 
That love had won for me

Here in Your arms
You still my heart again 
And I breathe You in 
Like I've never breathed till now

When my faith gets tired
And my hope seems lost
You spin me round and round 
And remind me of that song
The one You wrote for me

And we dance
And we dance 
And we dance
And we dance 
Just You and me

And I will lock eyes 
With the One who's ransomed me
The One who gave me joy from mourning 

And I will lock eyes 
With the One Who's chosen me
The One Who set my feet to dancing 

We dance
Just You and me

It's nice to know 
I'm not alone 
I've found my home here in Your arms

The Undoing is an excellent set of songs focusing on the central themes of asking God to inhabit our inner being and truly allow the power of the Holy Spirit to sanctify us, along with relying solely on the love of Jesus to truly mold our hearts and make us more like Him. I really love how expressive these songs are. Steffany loves a lot, and that is evident throughout her stellar "gourmet" offering. These are all stand-out tracks filled with overwhelming biblical truth, and they are companions in my personal prayer and worship time.

Steffany sings songs with an amazing passion, with unashamed praise and gratitude to our Savior that is very inspiring and emotionally moving. All of her songs are poignant and powerful with earnest, worshipful lyrics. The Undoing is one of the top worship albums of the year. It is truly a moving and prayerful worship experience.
 
Being a Christian father of three young daughters, "We Dance" reflects the yearning for Jesus that I pray for my daughters' to feel in their hearts as well. Every song released by Bethel Music completely focuses me as a listener on joining in praise, worship and adoration of our beautiful King Jesus, with reminders that the "waves and wind still know His Name." A Bible verse that references the dance we are having with God is Zephaniah 3:17. It moves me immensely to soak in the Truth that our God sings over us. Then sing back to God: "I'll lock eyes with the One Who's chosen me, the One Who set my feet to dancing." Amen to that!

(Watch Steffany sing the song here.)